I talked or a friend on Skype last night, Gilsan.
In your neighborhood and confined to her hotel because of the outbreak there. A family member came from Canada to ski in Hokkaido, and he's worried about return flights being blocked. But enjoying empty slopes. Things are starting to sell out in supermarkets as panic snowballs. Even I join in, because otherwise we'll be stuck without certain staples. First masks, then toilet paper, then rice and pasta...
The spread might be very limited in Japan as the weather warms, and people are already obsessive here. They wash their hands frequently, and even in normal times do things like not touching the handrail when using escalators. Good ideas anyway in a crowded place. And the PM s cancelling crowded events left and right - though he's more worried about his precious 2020 Olympics than anything else.
The impact on the economy is going to be massive, possibly worse than 2008, which we know was the worst depression in all of world history.
There is almost certainly something going on behind the scenes, as it's hard to see how the response matches the disease. Hard to see how it will play out, too. Wouldn't want to be holding a lot of stocks now. Think they may bump up as the fear subsides, but crash again when the delayed effects kick in. Most people I know are losing money - except those who have regular salaried jobs.
